Ducks' door to playoffs goes through Kings

The Ducks' Ryan Getzlaf, right, and his teammates need to win one of their last two games to clinch a spot in the Stanley Cup playoffs. CHRISTINE COTTER, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

ANAHEIM – Fans of the Ducks and Kings have often wondered when both teams would ever make the Stanley Cup playoffs in the same season and pined for the day when they'd go head-to-head in a seven-game series.

It has never happened since the Ducks joined the NHL in 1993, but they can join their rival in a chase for the Cup with one more victory in their final two regular-season games — against the Kings.

Because of a victory by Dallas over Colorado on Thursday night, the Ducks know there's still work to do first at Honda Center on Friday and then at Staples Center on Saturday. The Kings clinched their spot Wednesday with a victory over Phoenix.

"I guess the schedule makers had something to do with it," Ducks coach Randy Carlyle said. "You never expect that this would be as tight as it has been. The Kings won a big shootout last night. I'm sure they're feeling good about themselves.

"We just have to prepare our group to not get into any kind of situation where we think we've accomplished anything."

The Ducks were in a playful mood with captain Ryan Getzlaf helping Corey Perry off with his skates after practice and throwing retirement barbs at Teemu Selanne.

"Teemu would like to make an announcement that he's no longer retiring after the season," Getzlaf said, jokingly. "He's playing next season for the sixth year in a row."

Said Selanne: "I know what I'm doing next year. I'm going to start a comedians club. Getzlaf and Perry can join with me. They're so funny."

"It's better known as a comedy club here in America," Getzlaf said, laughing.

The Ducks had reason to be on a high after witnessing a momentous Wednesday night by Perry, who added more beef to his Hart Trophy credentials by getting the third hat trick of his career and becoming the first 50-goal scorer this season.

But the rousing 6-2 victory over San Jose only got them closer to their objective. And they're not counting on any help from other teams to eliminate Dallas, which can still overtake them if the Stars win out and they lose these games against the Kings.

But as has happened throughout the second half of the season, the Ducks could be entering the game with a question mark in goal.

Ray Emery pulled himself out midway through the second period because of a lower-body injury.

Emery is coming back from major hip surgery last April but the veteran netminder said he doesn't believe his ailment is related to that. He's 7-2 with a 2.28 goals-against average in nine starts since joining the Ducks.

"Around the start of the second there, I felt a little bit of something a bit funny and kind of tried it out for 5 to 10 minutes there," Emery said. "I kind of told them that I thought it'd probably be best if I got out of there and took care of myself."

Carlyle didn't elaborate on the source of Emery's injury. Dan Ellis finished the game as Emery returned the bench later in the second after a spell in the training room.

Carlyle said, "He's got a lower-body injury that we're going to be very precautionary about."

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